Minnesota Barbecue

Well, I am back from my trip to Minnesota. I started out in Duluth, where I spent a night, and then headed up to International Falls to visit my old friends Bruce and Donna. I have known them since grade school, so that is going way back. Another friend, Chris, who is Donna's cousin also came up to stay a few days. I have known him since grade school as well. Now that is going way back.

Sadly though, I never got around to taking any pictures. I don't know what I was thinking. Really should have too. Especially the one where Bruce and I made a venison shank and squirrel stew. Now Bruce already had the venison shanks and squirrels in his freezer so we didn't have to actually go out and kill them ourselves. I know, Sarah Palin would say we were wusses.

After spending about a week in International Falls I drove to Ely where another couple of friends of mine, Jon and Ruthie have a lovely house on Wolf Lake. I did manage to get a few pictures here when we went into town and had a few beers in a new brew pub, BoatHouse.

The BoatHouse in Ely


Ely is a pretty small town up in Northern Minnesota and fell on some hard times when the iron mines started shutting down some time ago. It has reinvented itself as a bit of a tourist town now due to its proximity to the Boundary Waters, a large chain of lakes that are prized for canoeing, fishing, and camping. One of the benefits is neat bars and restaurants like BoatHouse.

And it is a real brew pub too. They make their beers right on the premises.

The Brewery


They have the ability to brew up to, and I think this is right, twelve different beers. Currently they are just brewing two. This is primarily due to the fact that they a relatively new operation and are just ramping up and it is getting to be winter when both beer drinking and tourism tends to drop.

Well that didn't stop us from enjoying a few of what they did have to offer.

The Mysterious Chinese Woman And Ruthie Conversing


Jon And Bar Man Drinking


The following morning I headed down to Minneapolis where I was going stay with my friends Rico and Sandy. I told Jon and Ruthie that I thought Rico would be barbecuing ribs for me because he knows that I really like them. And I was right.

Slaving Over The Grill


As you can see, grilling in the dark requires special equipment. Rico is in the last stage of his preparation. First he puts a rub on them and then smokes them for several hours. Next he puts them in an oven and finishes the cooking at a low heat. Finally he applies some of the barbecue sauce his wife, Sandy, makes and crisps them up over the grill. Believe me, they are truly delicious. Bar Man likes to smoke and grill too, but even I have to admit Rico's ribs are truly inspired. In fact, he recently won second place in a rib contest sponsored by an American Legion. I wonder what the first place ribs tasted like.

I was wondering why Rico was wearing a Hawaiian style shirt on a relatively chilly day. When I went down to his basement bar I saw why. He was selling them for $20 apiece. Well, not really. He actually gave both me and our friend, Jerry, one for free.

Three Amigos, Rico, Jerry, And Bar Man


Jerry and his wife Pat are also old friends of mine and Rico and Sandy had invited them over for the barbecue feast. We all settled down to a truly delicious meal and a rollicking good time.

The Whole Crew Chowing Down


The next day included a breakfast in a Bloody Mary, bingo, and a meat raffle. More on that in my next posting.

Clam Shuck At The Brazen Head

Last Saturday The Brazen Head hosted a Clam Shuck that was sponsored by Long Island Beers, and how could you miss out on something like that.

You Got Me Hooked


The Mysterious Chinese Woman and I decided to head over fairly early because I wanted to make sure I got there before the the clams ran out. Heh Heh, a little clam humor there. Clams don't have legs, so they can't run out.

Early Arrival


Well, I don't know if they would have run out of anything, but the place was already quickly filling up.

Packing Up Early


There was already a fairly slow moving line waiting for the clams. They also had oysters so it was a real raw bar treat.

Worth The Wait


Of course the center of attraction was the shucker, who was certainly earning his keep. He was pretty much working non-stop the whole time I was there. He was quick though, so the line actually didn't move that slowly. It just seemed that way if you were standing in it.

How Many Clams Can A Clam Shucker Shuck?


People eagerly grabbed up their portions when they were ready.

Looking Yummy


Sometimes when a bar hosts one of these things the clams and oysters aren't that good, but that was certainly not the case here. I should have known that because Lou, the manager of The Brazen Head, always runs a decent show. During the summer he used to have a Barbecue With Lou in the back outdoor area and he still has his famous Stew With Lou.

Nice Looking Clams And Oysters


The Brazen Head also has a very decent selection of beers and they usually have a couple of cask ales available. They also have a very nice Scotch selection.

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions


Well, the Clam Shuck was sponsored by Long Island Beers so I figured the least I could do would be to have one. I opted for the Hoptical Illusion, a very hoppy IPA that isn't overbearing and went quite well with the oysters and clams. The beers were being very ably served up by the two very busy bartenders, Vikki and Carly.

Vikki


Carly


Although the bar was packed you could still get a comfortable seat in a cosy corner of the bar.

The Cosy Corner


It was such a lovely evening though that I wanted to sit out in the fresh air.

Ah, Fresh Air


It really was quite nice outside and I don't mind my friend smoking his cigar. He is a Budweiser drinker so I can't begrudge him indulging in something with a bit of flavor.

I got a dozen clams and a dozen oysters. At $10 a dozen it was a real steal. At a lot of restaurants these would go for $2 or more each, easily. And they really aren't any better and often times aren't nearly as large. These were delicious.

Beer, Clams, And Oysters - My Oh My


And they slid down easily. I doused them with the sauce that they had prepared with a healthy dollop of horseradish stirred in. Nothing better.

Sliding Down To The Gullet


The Mysterious Chinese Woman tried one of each but raw clams and oysters aren't really her thing. Lou, however, had that covered. He had both Manhattan and New England clam chowder available, and it was free. You can't beat that. The Mysterious Chinese Woman had a bowl of each and said they were both delicious.

Stew Rhymes With Lou, Chowder Doesn't, Oh Well


As usual we had a great time. There was a friendly crowd and we talked about how our neighborhood had changed over the years with a couple of old timers. To be honest though, I am now one of the old timers. I don't care though, I have always looked forward to geezerhood.

I am heading to Minnesota in a couple of days so there probably won't be many, if any, posts until I get back, but what the hell, check anyway. It drives up my hit counter and makes me look popular.

Oh, I found out something interesting to day. There is a real medical condition called Palinopsia (Greek palin, again, and opsis, vision) the symptom of which is persistent or recurrent visual images, following removal of the exciting stimulus. In other words, you continue to see things that no longer exist and often don't see them as they actually were.

Atlantic Antic

Sunday was the famous Atlantic Antic and a group of us gathered at my place to form up, have a mimosa, and then head on out.

The Gathering Of The Herd


We didn't tarry too long before moving on out for the fun.

On The Way


As always there was plenty to see.

Hula Hooping In Front Of Last Exit


Belly Dancing Too


And A Band In Front Of Moxie


I once again started out the day by stopping into Montero which is just across the street from the official end of the Atlantic Antic. I think next year I might save this until the end because it is kind of a quick start.

Montero, A Block Too Far


Actually only three of us hit Montero. We really did need some adult supervision, though.

Bob, Bernie, And Bar Man


My old pal Pilar was there and she didn't help matters by insisting that she buy the first round. Of course we didn't help by making that round beers and shots.

Old Buddy Pilar


Then protocol required that we buy a round ourselves so without really hitting the fair we were already two beers and two shots into our day. Oh, yeah, and a mimosa or two.

The bartender was quite friendly, as everyone in this place always is. I am sure I asked her for her name, but somehow I forgot it.

Our Attentive And Attractive Bartender


Eventually we did make it back to the fair where Bob and Bernie studied their food options.

Hmm, What Looks Good


Grilled Shish Ka Bobs


Mexican Style Grilled Corn


These kids were having fun bringing out their inner Michelangelo.

Hmm, A Bit More Red, Perhaps


The streets were really packed so by the time I got to the Waterfront Ale House I had to stand behind the band to listen to the music. In my opinion, the best band in the whole Atlantic Antic.

Music At The Waterfront




There were a lot of old buses on the street too.

Do You Go To Macy's?


And, for those of you who remember and were fans of The Honeymooners, the bus that Ralph drove.

The Jackie Gleason Special


Well, I wish I had more for you, but after this we hit The Brazen Head.

Brazen Head


and then wondered aimlessly before hitting Robin Des Bois for dinner.

Robin Des Bois




But I had lost my focus (and probably my ability to focus) and didn't take any more pictures. Well, now I know why I don't do this professionally.

Next year I promise I won't start at Monetero and will make a concentrated effort to do a better job of documenting my day.

Get Ready - Atlantic Antic Coming Soon

This Sunday is my favorite street fair in all of New York. It goes far beyond the usual generic street fairs that abound all summer long. You know, the grilled Italian sausages with peppers, the traveling purveyors of the same old products...BORING!!!



Well, trust me, the Atlantic Antic is something altogether different. Admittedly, you can still get your grilled Italian sausages, but so much more.

Try To Stuff This Into A Hot Dog Bun


The fair is about a mile long and you can't walk far without coming across either a stage or some other live music venue. Plus the many restaurants that line Atlantic Avenue have their own food offerings which run the gamut from pulled pork sandwiches at the Waterfront Ale House to grilled sardines at La Mancha.



At many of the restaurants they have outdoor eating areas set up where you can sit and enjoy the day and, gasp, even have a beer. Now don't tell anyone I said this, but they are also pretty lax about letting you walk around with a plastic cup of your favorite brew. This used to be the way all the street fairs were before the illustrious Rudy G. put a stop to that back when he was mayor. Got to protect our streets from fun, don't you know.

Some of my favorite places to stop by for a bite to eat, a bit of music, and a brew or two include:

The Brazen Head


The Waterfront Ale House (big surprise there)


Floyd (where you can play bocce ball inside)


Way down at the other end of Atlantic Antic, but well worth the walk, is Hanks. They always have a dynamite group playing and you really owe it to yourself to stop in here. It might look like it has been abandoned, but trust me, it is one happening place.

Hanks


In my opinion, if you only get to one street fair in your life, this is probably the one you want it to be. As you can see from these pictures that I took last year, you won't be alone.

New York Press Responds

The New York Press did, indeed, publish my letter questioning the title of their "Best of Manhattan" edition.

MAILBOX

This Week: A clarification about last week’s “Best of Manhattan” edition; some stoner love, followed by Streep affection; and then yet another slam on Armond White for his apparent poor taste.


Brooklyn-Bound Best Of

May I humbly suggest that your “Best of Manhattan 2008” edition (Sept. 24-30) was inappropriately named? It seems that a number of your Best ofs were in boroughs other than Manhattan. My borough, Brooklyn, popped up numerous times, including: Best Straight First Date (Floyd), Best Shrine To Obsessive-Compulsive Collecting (City Reliquary), Best Open-Air Venue (The Yard), Best Book Store (Word), etc.

Whatever were you thinking?

—Dan Freeman, Brooklyn

Editor’s Note: You are correct, Dan, we did award several “Best of” categories to places outside of Manhattan. We stated as much in our intro, since the Press has been producing a “Best of Manhattan” edition for close to two decades (back when it was originally more difficult to discover great things in outlying areas) and have been reluctant to drop the title. But thanks for reminding us of the fallacy.